Tandil

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Tandil is the main city of the homonym partido (department), located in the southwest of Buenos Aires Province, over Tandilia hill range.

[edit] Geography

It's located 180 m above sea level and its coordinates are [show location on an interactive map] 37°19′08″S, 59°08′05″W. Tandil borders Rauch and Azul (to the north), Ayacucho and Balcarce (to the west), Lobería, Necochea and Benito Juárez (at south) and Azul and Benito Juárez (to the west).

The city is about 330 km away from La Plata (provincial capital) and Bahía Blanca, 160 km away from Mar del Plata, and 360 km from Buenos Aires. It is in a zone known as the Humid Pampa.

Its population is 108,109 inhabitants, as of the 2001 census (INDEC), but now Tandil's government estimates that the population reaches 110.000 people. The total partido area is 4,935 km².

[edit] History

The name of the city comes from the Mapuche words tan ("falling"), and lil ("rock"). It is probably a reference to the Piedra Movediza ("Moving Stone"), a large boulder which stood seemingly miraculously balanced on the brink of a chasm. The Moving Stone toppled on February 29, 1912. Some people thought that tan in fact meant "moving". In order to demonstrate the slight movements of the boulder, it was common practice to place bottles or some other things on its base to see them break. As of May 2007, a replica was set up in the same place where the original stood.

The city was founded by Martín Rodríguez on April 4, 1823, named Fuerte Independencia (Independence Fortress). Between that year and 1875, the native aborigins (Pamas and Ranqueles) defended from European usurpation, the invaders thinking they would not pose a threat.

With the annihilation and expulsion of the original inhabitants, "operation Conquest of the Desert", European presence became stronger in Tandil, receiving a large number of immigrants from various countries in Europe.

The vast majority of immigrants came from Spain and Italy but also Basque and Danish people settled, the latter constituting a very active community.

Tandil was designated a city in 1895 and became a popular tourist destination attracting people from Buenos Aires, other parts of the country and also from abroad.

The Piedra Movediza fell down in 1912, for unknown reasons. There have been projects to restore it, but other similar stones remain like El Centinela, making the scenery very attractive. This made easier the creation of other touring places like Sierra del Tigre or Monte Calvario.